


Anything For You

by Hikage_Phoenix



Category: Toy Soldiers (1991)
Genre: Best Friends, Fix-It, Friends to Lovers, Hospitals, Hostage Situations, Light Romance, M/M, Rescue Missions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-17
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2021-03-05 04:42:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25344865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hikage_Phoenix/pseuds/Hikage_Phoenix
Summary: Joey survives the gunshot that would have taken his life, but he is still in critical danger. The terrorists now refuse to release him after to the botched attempt, so Billy and his friends must quickly enact their escape plan in order to get Joey to a hospital. A fix-it fic that is based on the final act of the movie but with the addition of Joey’s survival.
Relationships: Billy Tepper/Joey Trotta
Comments: 7
Kudos: 7





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Ever since I watched Toy Soldiers, the ending upset me because I love Joey. This is a fix-it fic where Joey lives, rewriting the last half hour of the movie, with some Billy/Joey thrown in. I will keep in certain points of the canon plot but not explain them in detail, therefore things will make the most sense to people who watched the movie. New events will be fit into canon as best as I can, but it’s possible I will make mistakes. I apologize if there is any OOCness, the characters are a bit difficult to write for me.

The gunshots.

Every boy at Regis High School heard them, flinching at the sounds as they tore through the previously still air. After the initial shock and fear of their school being taken over, the boys had fallen into a tense routine knowing they would not be harmed as long as they didn’t do anything foolish. Now their fears resurfaced as they realized that it was most likely one of their classmates that had been shot.

For Billy Tepper, it was more than just fear, because it was his best friend, Joey Trotta, who had been shot. His heart filled with dread and horror when he heard Joey’s scream and saw the bullet pierce his left shoulder.

“Joey!!”

Billy made a mad dash for the stairs but Hank grabbed and pulled him back before he could do something foolish.

Joey dropped his gun and slipped down the stairs, clutching his shoulder, red blood oozing between his fingers. He lifted his gaze to meet Billy’s desperate one, and Billy could see Joey’s lips move in an attempt to say something. Tears filled his eyes and Joey’s face became blurry.

“That’s enough!” Luis appeared in the doorway behind Joey, lifting his hand to stop Jorge, the man who had shot Joey. The courtyard was now silent, save for Joey’s ragged breaths. He shook his head, examining the wound. “We were going to let you go, why did you struggle?”

Billy had enough, seeing Luis so close to his best friend. He wrenched free from Hank’s grasp and ran up the stairs to crouch over Joey, using one hand to support his head and placing the other over Joey’s to help apply pressure on the wound. Luis did not stop him or the other boys who followed and gathered around Joey.

“Oh my god…” Snuffy breathed.

“Joey, your shoulder…” Ricky gasped.

“Billy…” Joey whispered, tears leaking from his eyes as he strained against the pain. “I’m sorry…”

“Why are you sorry, Joey?” Billy cried. “You’ve been shot, goddamn it!”

“They were going to take me…away from you guys…” Joey squeezed his eyes shut, another tear slipping past his long lashes. “That’s why I…”

As the boys fussed over Joey and wondered what he meant, Luis turned to Jorge.

“This is the son of Albert Trotta,” he hissed. “The boy was supposed to be released unharmed.”

“He came bursting out of there with a gun, what else was I supposed to do?” Jorge argued.

“Damn…” Luis ran a hand through his hair, pacing as he tried to decide what to do with this turn of events. Finally he turned back to his lackey. “Bring him to the infirmary. One of the boys can go with him.”

The last thing he said got Billy’s attention, and he looked up as the two men walked past them down the stairs. Luis scanned the boys still present in the courtyard, and then pointed at Yogurt. “You, get over here and go with them. I will let you take care of him for a short while.”

“Wait, wait a minute,” Billy interrupted, his blood running cold. “You’re not going to let him go to a hospital?” He squeezed Joey’s hand protectively.

Luis glanced back at Billy.

“We were going to release your friend here because we respect his father. It seems he doesn’t appreciate his father’s gesture though and would rather stay here. Unfortunately, his father wouldn’t like it if we gave him back in this state. In fact, perhaps it would give a bit more incentive for them to release my father sooner, if they want to be in time to get this boy to a hospital.”

Billy gritted his teeth at the barely concealed implication that they were going to use Joey as a bargaining tool.

“You can’t do this!” he yelled. “Joey might die!”

“Well then, your friends on the outside will just have to work quickly, won’t they?” Luis shot back. “Now move aside, all of you.” The other boys stood up and stepped away from Joey, except for Billy, who clung to Joey harder.

“I want to go with him. I’m not going to leave him,” Billy pleaded, glancing down at Joey, who seemed to be losing consciousness. His face was paler and the hand on his shoulder went slack.

“Do you want him to get any medical attention at all, or not?” Luis sounded annoyed.

Yogurt placed a hand on Billy’s shoulder. “I’ll stay with him as long as I can, Billy.”

Billy finally laid Joey’s head back down gently, and brushed brown locks away from his forehead. Joey had passed out, but his face still betrayed his discomfort, and Billy’s heart twisted. He joined the other boys at the bottom of the stairs so Luis’s men could move Joey back inside. “Take care of him please, Yogurt,” he called, and Yogurt nodded before he also disappeared through the doors.

Once they were gone, Billy sank to the ground, putting his hands over his face.

“What the hell just happened man…” Snuffy asked in a trembling voice. “He got shot…”

“You alright, Billy?” Hank asked.

“Of course I’m not fucking alright!” Billy shouted. “Joey, what if he dies…god I don’t know what I’d do…” He started to sob, tears flowing freely now.

Joey was his other half, the two of them were inseparable ever since they met. Granted, it hadn’t been that long, since Billy transferred schools so many times, but there was an immediate spark between the two of them. Before long, they were infamous in the school for being master pranksters and troublemakers.

There were other rumors circulating, however, especially with how close the two boys were.

Billy had to admit that those rumors were not entirely untrue. Sometimes, when he and Joey were just chilling together, doing homework or planning pranks, he would glance over and examine just a bit too long at the way his hair framed his face, or how his long eyelashes curled. Then when Joey caught him staring, he’d dare to meet those beautiful hazel eyes as long as he could until Joey’s brilliant smile dropped into a small quirk of his lips as he averted his gaze in embarrassment. And if Billy was bold enough to keep looking, he’d glimpse the blush rising to dust Joey’s cheeks before his head turned away and all he could see was the silver cross dangling from his ear.

Billy loved the silver cross.

He always wanted to reach out and touch Joey’s face, and while brushing the hair from his forehead, ghost his hand over Joey’s ear so he could catch that silver cross between his fingers.

Now, all he wanted was for Joey to live. If he died, Billy didn’t think he’d be able to handle it.

“They were going to let him go,” Billy said, startling the others out of their nervous silence. “They mentioned Joey’s dad. I think he must have made some kind of deal with these terrorists to let Joey go, but he probably refused to go.”

“Damn…why’d he steal a gun though? Who’d be so desperate to give up freedom, even if they hate their dad?” Snuffy mused.

Ricky elbowed him. “It’s because of Billy, duh! The two of them are inseparable, they care more about each other than their own families.”

Billy flushed red at Ricky’s words, even though they were true.

“What do we do now though? We’ve been collecting intel on these guys for a while now, but we need to add in a rescue operation now.” Hank asked.

“We have no choice,” Billy said. “With Joey injured, we have to act fast before his condition gets worse. We have to accommodate our plan to make up for one less person, as well as an extra mission to get him out of the infirmary safely. Let’s wait for Yogurt to get back so he can tell us about Joey’s situation.”

Everyone nodded grimly, and began planning their next move. Joey’s life depended on it, and hell if Billy wasn’t going to do everything in his power to make sure his best friend lived.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry not too much happens in this chapter, it's mostly for setup. Also I am not a medical expert so I sort of gloss over the details on injuries.

Yogurt sat by Joey’s bedside. Luckily, the bullet had been a clean through and through, and the men bandaged Joey’s shoulder. Even so, Joey was now running a fever so Yogurt was allowed to place a cold cloth on his forehead and change it as needed.

The two men who had been stationed at the infirmary were now watching the boys too. The young boy shuddered under their gaze. Before the terrorists took over, he didn’t really know Billy and his gang personally, only that they were known throughout the school for their prankster ways. Yogurt wondered what would become of him now that he was involved in their rebel group. He was afraid of being punished like Joey and Billy had been, but it was too late to back out now.

“Uhh…” Joey stirred, shifting in the bed. His face twisted painfully as he woke up, blinking blearily at Yogurt. “What’s going on…?”

“You’re in the infirmary,” Yogurt informed Joey. “You passed out and were brought here. They bandaged you up but the wound looked pretty bad.”

“Billy?” Joey squinted and glanced around the room.

“He wanted to come but they wouldn’t let him. They let me stay for now but I’m not sure how much longer. There are two guards, probably to make sure no one tries to get you out. I think they’re planning on using you as leverage to get their demands faster in exchange for getting you to the hospital.” Yogurt glanced down at his hands folded in his lap. “I’m sorry, Joey.”

“Damn, I’m an idiot…” Joey sighed. “I know it was dumb of me, but, I was just so angry.” He brought his arm up to cover his eyes. “And now I’m just a liability, things got worse because of me. How can I do anything like this? Billy’s definitely going to do something crazy now that I’m stuck in here.”

“Hey, kid.” One of the men in the room appeared behind Yogurt. “Get up, time to go.”

“But…” Yogurt glanced at Joey.

“It’s alright.” Joey nodded at him. “Tell Billy that I’m okay. For now, anyway.” He grimaced.

Yogurt stood up. “I will.” He left the room.

The man, who was still standing by Joey’s bed, sneered at him. “You should have taken that chance to get out of here, kid. We warned you about what would happen if one of you tried to play hero.”

“Fuck you.” Joey spat back. “We won’t just lie down and let you guys walk all over us.”

In a flash, the man’s gun was out and he jammed it into Joey’s injured shoulder.

“Aagh!” Joey screamed in pain. His hands flew up and grasped the end of the gun in an attempt to move it away from his wound, but the man was stronger and pushed harder.

“I think you should, or the next time it’ll be your heart, not your shoulder,” The man warned.

A thin layer of sweat appeared on Joey’s skin as he gasped with the strain on his shoulder. “You’re gonna get what’s coming to you…all of you,” he managed through gritted teeth.

The man scoffed. “I can’t take threats very seriously from an injured kid.”

He removed the gun, and Joey breathed heavily. The man returned to his post, leaving Joey in silence.

 _Billy,_ Joey’s thoughts trailed to his best friend. _I’m sorry…I fucked up the plan. Goddamn it._ He was lucky to be alive though. If the bullet had just been directed a few inches in another direction, he’d be in a body bag instead of the infirmary. _Damn my old man…he didn’t have to interfere. We had everything under control._ But Joey couldn’t help but feel a little guilty. Despite his hatred for the man, his father cared enough about him to attempt to remove him in the first place. Coming this close to death had shaken him, and he finally realized maybe it was time to smooth things over with his father instead of stubbornly hating him. He sighed and closed his eyes, trying to think of a plan to get out of the infirmary. He didn’t want to be the burden that held his friends back.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Dean Parker was very agitated. They had received a new message from Luis that one of the boys had been shot, and for a moment, he was sure it was Billy. There was no way Billy would be laying low in a situation like this. When he found out it was Joey though, that was almost worse. Billy and Joey were like two peas in a pod, and if Joey was injured, Billy was most certainly going to raise hell.

What’s more, Luis now refused to release Joey for medical care, even though he had originally been complying with the deal made by Albert Trotta. According to him, they had been planning to release Joey as promised, but he was shot by accident, so they decided to use the ticking timer on his life as another bargaining chip. If they didn’t acquiesce to the terms he laid out quickly, then there was a possibility Joey could die. Parker did not know the location or extent of Joey’s wounds, but they couldn’t take any chances.

Now was the time for the plan to be enacted. Albert, who was enraged after hearing of the threat to his son’s life, now used his connections to get Luis’s father killed in prison. Since they couldn’t give Luis what he wanted anymore, their only hope was to attack in conjunction with Billy’s plan to neutralize the bombs.

“Send the signal to the boys. We have to work as quickly as possible. One of my boys is hurt.”

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

“He’s okay, Billy. Still looks like it hurts something awful, but he’s hanging in there,” Yogurt reported to Billy on Joey’s condition.

Billy let out a sigh. “That’s good…wish I could see him.”

“That’ll be kind of difficult with the guards and stuff. How are we going to get him out?” Snuffy mused.

A flash of light at the window got the boys’ attention.

“Look! It’s the signal from Parker! The guys on the outside are going to attack,” Hank exclaimed. He grabbed the dorm mirror and angled it towards the window to reflect light back out.

“This is good timing, an outside attack can serve as a distraction,” Billy said. “Alright, everyone. The plan to switch the bomb chips will happen tomorrow as we planned. Yogurt, you’re gonna be coming with me.”

“Huh, me?” Yogurt was surprised at being given a large role in the plan.

“Once Yogurt and I get back from the headmaster’s office, Hank, you and Snuffy lead everyone into the basement. Ricky and I will head to the infirmary and rescue Joey. If you don’t see us come back, though, and it looks like there’ll be trouble, don’t worry about us and just hide yourselves.”

“But—” Snuffy began, but Billy cut him off.

“It’s okay. I’m sure everything will be fine. But even if it isn’t, I’m not leaving here without Joey. I won’t leave him alone.” Everyone quieted down after seeing the determined glint in Billy’s eye. He was thumbing through Joey’s sketches that he had drawn to help plan the escape.

“Alright, be careful man,” Hank said. “It’s possible that if they realize what’s going on, or especially once they see people entering from the outside, Luis will go straight for Joey as a hostage. He won’t resort to blowing up the school yet if he thinks there’s still a chance to get his father back.”

Billy nodded grimly.

“Okay, let’s get some sleep. And pray that all goes well tomorrow.”

The lights clicked off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I never curse in real life, so it felt odd writing curse words into the story...


	3. Chapter 3

The plan was going off without a hitch. After Snuffy’s faked asthma attack, Billy and Yogurt snuck into the headmaster’s office through the vents while everyone was in the dining hall preoccupied with Snuffy’s “medical emergency.” There, with Yogurt’s instruction, Billy was able to successfully switch the chips in the bomb and Yogurt’s electric kite. Then, the boys managed to surprise and subdue the guards that were stationed in the dining hall. Billy made sure to give an extra hard kick to the man who had shot Joey. The FBI had already arrived and now occupied the attention of Luis and the other terrorists, so the boys were able to work quickly from the inside.

Once they were ready, Billy nodded at Hank, and then he and Ricky took off in the direction of the infirmary. Snuffy prepared the trapdoor entrance in the kitchen while Hank called for all the students to take shelter in the basement.

The operation to rescue Joey is where things started to go wrong.

When the FBI started infiltrating the school, Luis was busy shouting orders to his men, so his second-in-command Jack headed to the infirmary to get Joey.

Joey had woken up and was able to stand up on his own, but the two men in the room did not allow him to leave. After hearing the commotion caused by the FBI outside though, the men became distracted at the window, and Joey took that as his chance. He dashed for the door as fast as he could with his injury, and he could hear the men shouting as the doors slammed behind him.

As he hurried down the hall, Joey heard someone running in his direction, and he ducked into the nearest room to hide. Through the door window, he saw Jack pass by on his way to the infirmary.

“Get the kid,” Jack ordered the two men who had followed Joey into the hall.

“He ran for it!” one of the men yelled. “If you didn’t see him then he must be hiding in one of these rooms.”

Joey, who had been listening at the door, knew he was in big trouble. There were three men now, and there was no way he’d be able to take down all of them or force his way through, even if he weren’t injured. He made his way over to the window and glanced down. The infirmary was on the third floor, so it was unlikely he’d be able to escape out the window. Hiding would get him caught sooner or later though, so he prayed that the men would split up to check each room and he would have a chance at slipping past one. Joey grabbed a chair and hid by the entrance of the door.

The door creaked open, and Joey swung with all his might, catching the man who entered around his chest. He yelled and fell to the floor. Before he could get up, Joey darted out the door. The other two men in other rooms heard the commotion though, and came out to see Joey running down the hall.

“Get him!”

Unfortunately for Joey, the fatigue from the strain on his body was taking its toll and he couldn’t outrun Jack, who closed the short distance between them quickly. He tackled Joey to the floor and used his weight to pin him down, one hand on Joey’s neck and the other holding his hands behind his back. Joey bit back a whimper at the flare-up of pain from his injury. He could feel blood seeping through his bandages as his wound reopened.

“Not this time, kid,” Jack sneered. He pulled Joey up and tugged him down the hall, with the other two men following behind.

As they neared the headmaster’s office, Luis appeared. Joey glared at him, but couldn’t do anything as he was pushed into the room. He nearly fell over, but Luis pulled him up and wrapped his arm around Joey’s neck. He pushed the barrel of the gun in his other hand to Joey’s head just as Billy and Ricky burst into the room, stopping short when they saw Luis and Joey.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Billy and Ricky ran through the school as fast as they could. Billy cursed the fact that the infirmary was so far away from the dining hall. Once they got to the hallway leading to the infirmary, the two boys stopped at the corner. Billy peeked around the edge, but the hall was empty and the infirmary doors were wide open. That couldn’t be a good sign.

The two of them ran into the infirmary, seeing it was completely empty. Billy felt his stomach churn with dread and horror.

“Where the fuck is Joey!?” Billy shouted.

“Damn, we’re too late…” Ricky sighed. “They must have moved him already. I bet they’re taking him to where Luis is.”

“Shit, okay let’s go. He’s probably at the headmaster’s office, let’s try there first.” Billy said.

The two boys once again took off running, worried about the safety of their friend.

Once they got closer to the headmaster’s office, Billy could see a man standing outside the door, which meant someone else was inside. He and Ricky jumped the man, pushing him to the ground and wrenching his gun away. After subduing him, Billy held the gun in one hand and pushed the door open with the other.

“Wait, Billy!” Ricky called out too late. Billy already entered the room, raising the gun.

Inside, Luis was holding Joey at gunpoint. Two of his men were also there and immediately pointed their guns at Billy and Ricky.

“Joey!” Billy yelled.

“Billy!” Joey answered weakly. He was visibly bleeding through his shirt from the wound on his shoulder, but he was still alive. He squeezed his eyes shut in pain as Luis’s hold on him tightened.

“Looks like you still haven’t learned anything about discipline,” Luis glared at Billy. His hand was posed ready to activate the bomb detonator on his wrist.

Billy gulped. They were at a disadvantage, since the men could definitely shoot him and Ricky before they could save Joey, even though the bomb should be a dud now. Sudden movement at the window caught his eye. He glanced past Luis discreetly, and quickly schooled his surprised expression at seeing Parker outside the window so as not to redirect Luis’s attention.

After not dying from the gunshot, Joey was so sure he was going to die now. The last thing he’d see was his best friend’s worried and scared face. As Luis pushed the button to activate the bomb, Joey hoped his friends had been able to sabotage it.

Yogurt’s electric kite whirred to life, and as Luis stared in shock, Parker got a clear shot of Luis from outside the window. He fired the gun, hitting Luis squarely in the forehead, and he fell, dropping Joey. As the two other men turned in surprise, Billy directed the gun at Jack and managed to shoot him in the arm, while Ricky tackled the other man. Several FBI agents then entered the room and quickly took over the rest of the cleanup.

Billy and Ricky ran towards Joey, pushing Luis’s body off of him. Joey groaned, clutching his shoulder.

“Joey!” Billy cried, and he pulled Joey into a gentle hug, burying his face into Joey’s shoulder. Tears sprang from his eyes as he held his best friend close. “I thought we were going to lose you.”

“Billy…Ricky…” Joey said. “You guys did it.” He smiled, and brought his free hand up to hug Billy back.

“Of course we did,” Ricky said. He put his arms around both Billy and Joey, and the three friends held each other, crying in relief.

Parker climbed in through the window, glad to see his boys were safe.

“Good job, boys,” Parker said proudly. “You pulled through, Mr. Tepper. Though now it is time we get Mr. Trotta to the hospital. There will be a time for celebrations later.”

Billy nodded. “I’m going to stay with him. Ricky, can you go get the other guys?”

“Sure thing,” Ricky said. “We’ll meet you outside in the quad.” He left the room.

“Billy,” Joey whispered, and Billy looked down at the boy in his arms. “I thought I was going to die…”

“Shh, Joey, everything is okay now,” Billy replied. “The school is free, and you’re going to be just fine.” Still, more tears streamed down his face. They had come so close to losing Joey, and Billy never wanted to experience that again.


	4. Chapter 4

Joey blinked.

He was lying in a hospital bed, staring up at the white ceiling. Looking around the room, he saw all of his friends gathered around the bed, as well as Parker. Billy was holding his hand, watching him with a worried look on his face. He could see Snuffy, Hank, Ricky, and even Yogurt and Ted. The two younger boys seemed to have fully joined their gang now. Most surprising, was Phil sitting opposite Billy on his other side.

“Hey, Phil,” Joey cracked a smile. “You missed out on all the fun we had while you were gone.”

“Jesus, Joey,” Phil said. “I can’t believe all that happened while I was away. And all because they were looking for me…”

“It’s not your fault,” Joey reassured him. “So you’re coming back to school soon then?”

“Yeah,” Phil said. “I’ll be back soon. I just heard you were hurt so I wanted to visit.”

“You gave all of us quite the scare,” Parker said. “It was reckless and foolish of you to have stolen a gun. You should have just quietly allowed yourself to be released.”

Joey looked down, properly chastised. “Sorry, sir.”

Parker shook his head. “I’m glad you are alright, but do you understand what a close call you had? You boys are the biggest group of rebellious troublemakers in the school, but this was a matter of life or death,” he scolded.

“I know, sir,” Joey said quietly.

“Now, you are going to have a talk with your father. He is here in the hospital already.”

Joey turned his face away. “I don’t want to talk to him.”

“You have to. He is your father. I think it would do you good, especially after what happened,” Parker added in a softer voice.

“Okay,” Joey sighed.

“Alright, boys, time to head back to the school,” Parker ushered the boys towards the door.

“Wait, can I stay a bit longer?” Billy asked. “I still haven’t gotten to talk to Joey privately yet. But I’ll wait for his dad.”

Parker nodded, and everyone left the room.

Joey closed his eyes, and waited until he heard his father enter the room.

“Joseph…” Albert Trotta approached his son’s room and sat down in the chair Billy had occupied. He reached out and took his son’s hand in his own. Joey didn’t resist.

Albert sighed. “I know you must be angry with me, Joseph. But all I wanted to do was protect you.”

“I didn’t get shot because you asked them to let me go. I got shot because I refused to be released,” Joey said flatly. He opened his eyes in time to see the look of hurt and sadness cross his father’s face, and that twinge of guilt gnawed at him again.

“Even so, I am grateful that you are alive. You are my son, and I love you. As long as you are safe, that is all that matters to me. I know that you hate me and are ashamed of what I do. But never forget how important you are to me.” Albert reached forward tentatively, and then enveloped Joey in a hug.

As his father squeezed him, Joey could feel tears dripping down onto his shoulder as his father sobbed. Joey had grown up hating his father, but after having a near death experience, he realized that it was time to let bygones be bygones. He hesitantly brought his arms up to reciprocate his father’s hug, feeling tears starting to leak from his own eyes.

“I’m sorry. I’ll try to do better…father.”

It was the first time Albert had heard Joey call him “father” in years.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Billy waited outside Joey’s room as he and his dad had their private moment, pondering his own relationship with his parents. He didn’t hate his dad like Joey did, but the man had never been around enough so Billy just felt indifferent. He thought back to his discussion with Parker about why he felt the need to cause so much mischief and play pranks. Growing up without much parental attention, perhaps he just wanted to get someone to care. Most schools had just thrown him out, but Parker was different. He was going to keep Billy around until he graduated. Billy smiled. Maybe someone finally cared.

Joey’s door opened and Albert stepped out. He looked over at Billy, who could see the red rimming his eyes.

“William Tepper,” he said.

“Yes, Mr. Trotta,” Billy replied, suddenly feeling nervous. “Is everything alright with, uh, you and Joey?”

“Yes,” Albert said, smiling. “I think we will be alright now. Thank you, for being a good friend to my son.”

“Oh, it’s um, nothing, sir,” Billy felt his cheeks grow hot.

“Please continue to take care of Joseph.” With that, Albert left, leaving a flustered Billy to reenter Joey’s room.

As Billy approached the bed, he could see the signs that Joey had also been crying. He felt happy for him, since it seemed like he and his father were finally on the path towards reconciliation.

“Hey,” he said softly.

“Hey,” Joey said back, smiling that brilliant smile that Billy loved. He took his place next to Joey’s bedside again.

“Listen, Joey,” he began, taking Joey’s hand in his again.

“What’s wrong, Billy?” Joey asked. Pink dusted his cheeks as he glanced down at their joined hands.

“When I thought you were dead, my whole world stopped. You are the most important person to me, and I’d do anything for you. If you had died, I would have never been able to tell you, so I just needed you to know right now,” Billy said solemnly. He was sure his face was now flaming red. Joey’s face was also progressively darkening several shades, and he brought his free hand up to cover his face.

“Oh my gosh, Billy, is this the cheesiest love confession ever or what?” Joey blurted out, before both boys realized what he had just said. “I—I mean, not a love confession or anything, but—“

“In a way,” Billy cut him off firmly. “I didn’t mean for it to come out that way, but I’m not going to deny that I’ve liked you, for a while…now.” His voice trailed off. “If you don’t want to, nothing has to change though. I just want my best friend.”

“Billy, you sap,” Joey smirked. “You’re the best friend I ever had too. You better not get kicked out of Regis now, or else I’m going to have to find a way to follow you to your next school.”

Billy grinned. “Don’t worry. Parker said he’s going to keep me until I graduate.”

“Oh, so that means I have to get held back a few years!”

“Hey!” Billy mock slapped Joey, both of them laughing.

It felt good to fall back into their usual routine. While the incident at Regis High School scarred both of the boys, Billy was glad that some things could stay the same. Though Billy hadn’t received a reply from Joey on the “confession,” Joey held Billy’s hand tighter and squeezed. That was enough of an answer for Billy.

As their laughter subsided, both boys quieted as they noticed how close their faces were. Billy boldly reached his hand up towards Joey’s face so he could hold the silver cross still dangling from Joey’s ear.

“What is it?” Joey whispered.

“Nothing,” Billy whispered back. “I’ve just always wanted to do that.”

Joey blushed. “Okay, enough of that now.”

Billy dropped his hand.

“Hey, do you want to think of a prank we could play on the nurses?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There wasn't a lot of background on why Joey hated his dad, but I wanted to see them reconcile one way or another. Also I'm sorry for the cheesy romance dialogue ^^;


	5. Chapter 5

While Joey had been recovering, the school closed for several days to get affairs in order and let the boys return to their families if they wished. Billy, whose parents were too busy, opted to stay at the school and helped around doing odd jobs to prepare for reopening. Parker had raised an eyebrow at Billy being so helpful.

“It’s because no one else is around now, to appreciate the ingenuity of my pranks,” Billy explained. “Just you wait til school starts again, you’ll be wishing you got rid of me.”

“Not a chance,” Parker laughed. “I was serious about keeping you until graduation. Plus, you can’t get away from pots and pans that easily.”

“Aww, shucks,” Billy groaned.

Joey was coming back to school today. Albert insisted on personally driving his son, and Joey allowed his father to chauffeur him. Things were still a bit awkward between them, since it was hard to patch up a damaged relationship that fast, but it was a start.

As the car pulled up through the school gates, Billy and the rest of the gang were waiting to greet Joey and see the “battle scar” he sustained from the incident.

Walking into his room, Joey felt like he hadn’t been there in a long time. Seeing his own bed, desk, and posters plastered all over the wall comforted him as they were a reminder of the simple life they had before the occupation.

“Don’t worry,” Billy said. “I tracked down the guys who were staying in our room and made sure they didn’t mess anything up.”

“They better not have,” Joey laughed. “If they looked through my sketchbooks, they’ll regret it.”

Since school wasn’t starting until tomorrow, the boys had a free day to themselves. It was such a strange feeling, being able to walk on the quad again without having to fear men with guns and undergo hourly headcounts. Although the terrorist occupation had only lasted a few days, it had felt like an entire lifetime.

The six boys sat under a tree. Snuffy was smoking, and Joey was sketching, Billy leaning against his shoulder.

“So are you guys an item yet, or what?” Ricky asked.

“What!?” Billy sat up.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Joey closed his sketchbook. His face was turning pink.

“Oh, don’t play dumb. You two had a ‘private moment’ in the hospital,” Snuffy made quotation marks with his fingers. “I’m sure you were proclaiming your undying love for each other—”

“Aaahhh--!!” Billy tackled Snuffy to the ground.

“Oh my god, I can’t believe my two roommates!” Phil teased.

Hank swept Joey’s sketchbook out of his hands and flipped through it. “Joey’s been drawing Billy, all right.”

“Hey! Give it back!” Joey snatched the book back. “Shut up, you guys.”

“How did you know?” Billy asked, still holding Snuffy down.

“Aww, we were just poking a bit of fun. It’s not like you guys were really inconspicuous or anything,” Hank said.

“Hey guys, what’s up?” Yogurt and Ted appeared in front of the group. They sat down in the grass next to the others.

“Hey! The little ones!” Snuffy said. Billy let go of him so he could sit up.

“Did you ever get your kite back?” Billy asked Yogurt.

Yogurt shook his head. “Unfortunately, no, it was ruined after the shootout in the headmaster’s office. But it’s okay, it was for a worthy cause. I got a new one anyway.”

Billy whistled. “You and that kite saved our lives. We couldn’t have done it without you. Be proud.” He patted Yogurt’s shoulder.

Yogurt nodded shyly. “I thought you guys were crazy at first, but now I think you’re kind of cool.”

“We’re always cool,” Snuffy said.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully, but near sunset, Joey asked Billy to walk with him privately. The quad was mostly empty now so they didn’t have to worry about being overheard.

“What’s up, Joey?” Billy asked as they sat down on a bench.

“Not much,” Joey said. “I just wanted to spend some time with you alone.”

The two sat in silence, watching the branches of the trees sway with the light breeze. Joey’s hair was swept across his forehead, and Billy felt the urge to reach up and smooth the light brown locks out. He admired the way the final rays of the evening sun cast both highlights and shadows over Joey’s face, making him look like a beautiful painting. Billy wished he had a camera so he could capture the moment forever.

“After I got shot,” Joey began. “I was so scared. I made a stupid mistake, and I thought I was going to die.” He rubbed his shoulder where his injury had been.

“Joey…”

“I hated my father. I mean, he’s part of the fucking mafia for Christ sake. But me, stealing a gun like that, I don’t think I’m any better than he is.”

“No, Joey, that’s not true…” Billy urged. “You’re smart, smarter than me. I mean, I have you doing my homework for me!”

Joey grinned wryly. “I pretended I was better than him. But the truth is, I can’t keep on denying it. I’m going to accept that part of me, the son of the mafia. But I’m not going to inherit his legacy when I grow up. I’m going to make it my own way.”

“And I want to be there to see it,” Billy said. He put his arm around Joey’s shoulder. “If you’ll let me, of course.”

“Of course,” Joey said. “We’ll make it, together. I’ll make sure you graduate. And not just by writing your essays for you, either.”

“You mean you’re gonna tutor me?” Billy asked.

“You said you’d do anything for me, right?” Joey replied. “Well, I’d do anything for you too, Billy. So we can stay together.”

Billy grinned. “You got it, dude.”

“There’s no one else I want by my side.” Joey turned to look at Billy and smiled. In a sudden impulse, Billy moved his hand that was around Joey’s shoulder up to brush over his hair, and leaned in so he could kiss Joey on the cheek.

As the rest of the sun disappeared over the horizon, the two boys sat there, marveling in the miracle of being alive, and of being able to stay by each other’s side for many more years to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


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